Tommy Hight celebrates 50 years of insuring his customers’ dreams

June 04--A Columbia insurance agent, who prospected for his first clients through the phone book and sold ice cream in the Riverside section of town as a child for extra money, will celebrate his 50th anniversary in business Monday.

Tommy Hight, 80, has been selling insurance on Carmack Boulevard since June 5, 1967. He will be honored by friends and family for his milestone with a small reception at his office Monday.

"I've always treated people with extra care and attention, doing everything it takes to get the job done," Hight told The Daily Herald on Friday. "We've been tested through time. We've made some mistakes, but we've learned and gotten better and seen nearly everything over 50 years."

Through tragedy and calamity, Hight and now his only son, Tommy Jr., and grandson, Blake, have been there for local customers after car accidents, fires and severe weather. Many local residents who signed with him in 1967 remain among his 6,000-plus active Shelter policyholders, he said, smiling.

"A couple was in here yesterday and said, 'You're a little high on your quote,'" Hight said. "I said, 'Ma'am, if I don't write your insurance, you will not have me as an agent. She looked at me a little funny and said, 'What difference does that make?' I told her, 'Because I'm the best. You'll never have to worry about insurance at all if you have me. Price is not everything.' She said, 'You're right. How much do I owe you?'"

Sales were not always that easy. Hight worked his way through the Columbia phone book when he opened his doors, searching for business, in his new career. The former clothing sales manager bought the building at 1603 Carmack Blvd. from his first cousin, James Cathey, for $35,000.

"You had to have

insurance because lenders require it if you borrow money on a car," Hight said. "If you buy a house, you have to buy homeowner's insurance. So it's a business with great demand.

"I remember going through the phone book," he added. "I would say, 'Hello, I'm Tommy Hight. I'm new to the insurance business. Would you be kind enough to let me figure on your car insurance? I told them that they would need insurance for the rest of their life, and that I was their guy."

By the time he had gone through the phone book, business was booming.

"I had a guy who came in the other day, and I asked him, 'Do you know when you took out your first policy with me?' He looked at me for a second and said, 'A long time ago.' It actually was Aug. 4, 1967."

Hight took to insurance sales like a fish to water. He won company incentives for sales by his second year. He wound up taking trips all over the world, including five times to Hawaii, three times to Switzerland and twice to Rome.

"I'm not bragging, but the company pays for all of these trips, depending on how well you're doing," Hight said. "I enjoyed every minute of it and working hard to meet the sales incentives. About 120 out of 1,500 agents in the company will go on an annual trip. It made me feel proud personally."

Hight says personal service makes a difference. He does not begrudge the GEICOs or Progressives of the world, trying to undercut him on insurance. Having said that, Hight offers a special, personal touch.

"A woman came into the office recently, looking for driver's insurance for her young son," Hight said. "I found her a policy, then recommended adding a little life insurance. It was just a suggestion, from my experience, knowing how risky young drivers can be. Sadly, he was killed in an accident a few years later. It was tragic and horrible.

"But it was a nice moment when I was able to deliver a $250,000 life insurance check that paid off all of her bills, including her mortgage. That's the personal touch an agent can bring to insurance shopping. I have decades of experience. I know what to anticipate. I know what can happen. That's the purpose of insurance -- to take care of what might happen."

Hight said he "semi-retired" from the business in 2011, letting his son and grandson run the day-to-day operations. He still likes to come into the office every day, sometimes as early as 7 a.m., to lend a hand.

"I like being around people, and I like solving problems," Hight said. "The sad moments, like accidents or health problems, get to you, but I like being the person who can protect them. I like to know our customers by their first name."

Hight, who grew up three blocks from his agency over on South High Street, learned his work ethic from his father. Saying he was wearing out too many tennis shoes, Hight's father put him to work, selling ice cream in Riverside.

"I rang a little bell and carried ice cream to those neighborhoods over there," Hight said. "I didn't have a vehicle or a bike. I walked my routes, every day, making a few dollars on a good day."

Hight will enjoy what his son calls a "great day" when he reaches the half-century mark in insurance. His trademark smile will be bigger than ever.

"We're proud of him," Hight Jr. said. "His success is truly the story of a self-made man who cared about his customers all of the time."

James Bennett is editor of The Daily Herald. Contact him at [email protected].

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